The present invention relates to a golf bag and, more particularly to a golf bag with a stand assembly for supporting a golf bag to stand at an inclination to the vertical. This invention also relates to a top moulded member of a golf bag with a stand assembly and method for making same.
Golf is a popular outdoor game with ever increasing popularity in many places around the world. A typical golf game is played on a course of 9, 18 or even 36 holes in which a golfer moves sequentially from one hole to another until all the holes have been attended. The distances between the holes can vary in length from about a hundred meters to several hundred meters. Some of the holes are flanked by rough areas which make it more difficult to play.
In a golf game a golfer must use a golf club to strike a golf ball towards the target hole. Different clubs have different technical characteristics and are used for different situations. Typically, a golfer is allowed to carry up to 14 pieces of golf clubs in a golf bag. In order to strike a golf ball for a relatively long distance, a golfer has to make a big body swing or twist to impart more power to the ball for a long flight. After the hits, the golfer will move on to the landing position of the ball and prepare for the next strike. In moving between holes, many golfers prefer to carry the fully loaded golf bag by himself or herself to increase the exercise level of a golf game. Many expensive and good quality golf bags are provided with a stand assembly so that the golf bag can rest on its own in a nearly vertical position with its top opening facing the sky when a golfer is preparing for the next hit. A full set of golf equipment, including golf balls, clubs and other accessories, may weigh up to 10-kg. As the game involves considerably bodily movements covering up to several kilometers, a golfer may become tired and it is well known that many golfers habitually, but somehow unconsciously, lean and rest their body weight against an upstanding golf bag in order to obtain some rest in between movements following the golf ball.
Golf bags with a built-in stand assembly are widely used because the stand assembly can provide a stable support to maintain the golf bag in an upright position while the golfer is preparing for the next strike. A typical stand for a golf bag usually includes a pair of retractable inverted V-shape legs which are attached to the rigid top collar of the golf bag and the angular width of which increases as the free ends move away from the bag. The stand assembly is usually attached to the top end of a golf bag by rivets and is typically designed and tested to withstand the maximum likely weight of a fully loaded golf bag which may be in the region of 15-25 kg. In order to share the weight equally between the legs of the stand assembly, the legs are always laterally symmetrical about the longitudinal axis of the tubular golf bag. This symmetry is desirable because otherwise the weight of a person leaning against the golf bag may produce undesirable torsion at the joints connecting the stand assembly and the golf bag. Such undesirable torsion may cause the legs to twist about the joint and result in undesirably distortion of the joint which further aggravates the non-symmetry about the axis of the bag. The non-symmetry when coupled with further and undesirable torsion at the joints may result in breakage of the joints and cause severe personal injuries. The leg symmetry is usually obtained and maintained by riveting a stand assembly to both the top and bottom parts of the golf bag with careful alignment procedures in order to ensure lateral symmetry.
As non-symmetry of the legs may lead to personal injuries, an accurate and careful manufacturing and testing process is essential and this would inevitably increase the production costs and the lead-time for delivery. Furthermore, as a golf bag is constantly subject to weathering due to the outdoor nature of the game, the rivets may deteriorate and weaken after prolonged weathering. The joints with weakened rivets are more prone to breakage and may lead to personal injuries if a golfer habitually and improperly leans his or her weight against the supported golf bag. Hence, it would be desirable if a golf bag with strong top brackets for securing the stand assembly can be provided. Preferably, such a golf bag should be easily assembled without the need of tedious and precise alignment procedures.
A conventional golf bag includes a moulded top collar member, a moulded bottom member, a supporting structure extending between the top and bottom moulded members and an enclosure. The supporting structure usually comprises a plurality of rigid and strong stays which are usually thin metal posts. Golf clubs are usually placed within the golf bag with the handles resting on the bottom member, the shafts resting against the edges hard-plastic moulded top member and the heads exposing above the bag. It is well-known that the hard plastic edges on the top collar is unfriendly to graphite shafts. Many good golf clubs come with a graphite shaft. When a golfer carries a golf bag from one position to another, the golf clubs jolt and bounce within the golf bag with their shafts agitating against the inner edges of the hard plastic top moulded member which can be very damaging to the expensive golf clubs. To alleviate such likely shaft damages, a cushioning member which is friendly to graphite shafts is usually wrapped around the top collar member to protect the shafts.
However, as a stand assembly is usually pivotally attached to the top mould member of the golf bag which is usually the only suitable part of the golf bag which is solid enough to receive the stand assembly, a part of the cushioning material proximate to the pivoted joints has to be removed or left as a flap to allow pivotal movement of the stand assembly to and from the golf bag. The exposure of the bare top member with the metallic rivets or the overhanging flap member is somewhat unsightly and noncompatible with an otherwise well designed and expensive golf bag and is therefore undesirable. Hence, it would be desirable if a golf bag with a built-in stand assembly and a cushioned top member can be provided without either a flap member or the removal of a portion of the cushioning member proximate to the stand assembly junction.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a golf bag with a built-in stand assembly in which the stand assembly can be easily and robustly attached to the golf bag without a tedious alignment process and with a joint that is not immediately exposed to a user in his normal position. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cushioned top moulded member of a golf bag in which there is no need to provide remove a portion of the cushion member expose the joint or to allow for a flap member proximate to the joint between the stand assembly and the golf bag to allow for pivotal expansion of the stand assembly. It is a further object of the present invention to at least provide a useful choice of a golf bag and a top member of a golf bag to the general public.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a moulded top member of a golf bag which bag includes the top moulded member, a moulded bottom member, a supporting structure connecting said top member and said bottom moulded member, an enclosure extending between the top and bottom members and enclosing said supporting structure and a stand assembly, wherein said moulded top member includes a neck portion, a collar portion and a shoulder portion connecting said neck and collar portions, said neck portion includes a longitudinally extending circumferential wall which defines the inner aperture of said top member and a longitudinal part of which is surrounded by said enclosure, said collar portion includes a circumferential wall surrounding said neck portion, wherein a top bracket for securing said stand assembly to said golf bag is formed between said collar portion and said neck portion, and a cushioning member having a first and a second end is secured on said top member, said first end is secured on said collar portion, said second end is secured on said neck portion and the portion of the cushioning member between said first and second ends covers said shoulder portion.
Preferably, a moulded member means for releasably securing said cushioning member is formed on the underside of said moulded member.
Preferably, one end of said cushioning member includes a semi-rigid portion.
Preferably, the means for securing said cushioning member includes a channel formed between said neck and collar portion.
Preferably, a bracket for receiving said stand assembly is integrally moulded on said top member between the circumferential walls of said neck and collar portions.
Preferably, the second end of said cushioning member is secured onto the outside of the circumferential wall of said neck portion which is not surrounded by said collar portion.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a moulded top member of a golf bag which includes the top moulded member, a closed moulded bottom member, a supporting structure connecting said top and bottom moulded members, an enclosure extending between the top and bottom members and enclosing said supporting structure and a stand assembly, wherein said moulded top member includes a neck portion and a collar portion, said neck portion includes a longitudinally extending circumferential wall which defines the inner aperture of said top member and a longitudinal part of which is surrounded by said enclosure, said collar portion includes a circumferential wall surrounding said neck portion, wherein means for attaching said stand assembly to said golf bag is formed between said collar portion and said neck portion, and means for releasably securing one end of a cushion member for alleviating agitation of golf clubs against said moulded top member during use of the golf bag is provided on the underside of said top moulded member.